City of Nightmares
by L-Blaze91
Summary: A small group of only four must defend themselves as they travel through a massive city overrun by the Infection in order to escape to safety. But what secrets could be lying within this ravaged locale? Original characters, Valve's universe. ON HIATUS.
1. Regroup

_===Disclaimer: Left 4 Dead and all characters from it are copyright Valve. ...It just doesn't look the same without the tiny c in the circle.===_

Chapter 1: Regroup

"Come on! Keep moving! They're gaining on us!" A shotgun was fired into the mass of bloodthirsty infected, knocking some of them down dead. A middle-aged woman scrambled to her feet after having tripped a moment before. "Do you got that thing ready yet?!" Another shotgun blast decimated the front line of the raging crowd, but many more were close behind. Jack pumped the weapon again and pulled the trigger, but nothing came out. "Dammit. I'm out of ammo!"

"Got it!" Helen stepped forward and faced the oncoming horde, a pipe bomb with a pager taped onto it in her hand. She pressed a button on the small device, and it started to beep rapidly and loudly. She then tossed the explosive as far as she could toward the zombified people. They all immediately stopped and their heads followed the noise. When it landed on the street behind them, they all turned and ran at it, pushing each other aside. Once they had all crowded around the sound, the fuse ran out and the bomb exploded, sending blood and body parts splattering all around.

"A bit close, don't you think?" Jack wiped the sweat from his brow as the older woman drew her pistol from its holster.

"Hey, don't give me that," she retorted. "It's not my fault we just happen to find the only pipe that someone hasn't already attached a noisemaker to. You should be thankful I had all the stuff I needed to put that one together."

"Alright, alright," he conceded, "now let's try to find the others. They can't have gotten too far." Helen agreed and they set out to find their comrades among the dark city.

Jack was a determined young man in his early twenties. Up until a few days ago, he had a job helping out at a music store. He didn't really have any particular interest in music, but at least he earned enough money to make all his payments. He was looking to raise enough money to finally get into college, but as it turned out, the world wasn't going to give him that opportunity anymore. People began changing around him, and soon he was among only two people left in his small town.

Helen had been a nurse at her hometown's hospital. It was a busy job and she often had to take extra shifts, but she found it enjoyable nonetheless. One afternoon, a rather large number of people came in displaying incredibly pale skin and occasionally manic expressions. Over the next few days, more and more people started to show up with similar symptoms. At that time, she began to recall the news reports about the 'Green Flu' that had been spreading in parts of the country. When doctors and other hospital staff had started not showing up, she became really concerned. And when the sick patients began to destroy the building and attack people, she knew she had to get out of there. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to get anyone else out with her.

Now the two traveled together, along with two others, Jack's old buddy Pete and a teenaged girl named Christine. They were all on their own in a world gone to hell. Not even the military had come to look for them or any others. The only sight they had ever gotten of them was a large plane bombing a burning town far in the distance as they walked down a highway one night. But they still had hope that they would some day find a place that was free of this madness. It was all they had to cling to.

* * *

"I knew I shoulda kept that pager! Christine coulda been trying to contact us." Helen would always worry that they had done something wrong. She knew she shouldn't be thinking that way, but she couldn't help it.

"Her phone died three days ago, remember? And she threw it away on the ground just yesterday." Jack adjusted the med pack on his back to be more comfortable. "Besides, -..." He was interrupted by the shouts of a young female voice. The two took off in the direction of the noise, seeing Christine tottering around with one of the small, hunched over guys clinging to the back of her head.

"Get this freak off me!!!" she shouted amongst the insane cackling of the infected person. Helen moved her way over to the afflicted girl and threw a strong punch at the creature. It fell onto the ground and stumbled back from the impact. Then it turned to flee, but the large woman quickly grabbed her pistol again and fired a whole magazine into the small zombie. The infected person's arms flailed awkwardly as it collapsed dead.

"Shit, those suckers are tough," she muttered afterward.

"I cannot stand those things," Christine said as she brushed her black hair out of her face. Jack walked up to her and took a look behind her. When he didn't see anyone, he became worried.

"Hey, where's Pete?" he asked the teenager. She looked up at him, then turned her face downward. Jack closed his eyes tight, knowing his friend wasn't coming back. "How did he go?" he asked quietly.

"Pou-... Hunter...," she reluctantly answered. Jack laughed a little inside. Pete had chosen to use that name instead of Pouncer like the rest had decided on. He would always state that he wanted to hunt one of them back, to see how it would like it. "He managed to kick it in the gut, then shoot it in the head. I tried to help him, but when I could get to him, he had already lost too much blood..." Jack opened his eyes again.

"That makes three of us down." He thought back to the others they had lost already: Zach, a football star from a high school in a town near Helen's; and Henri, a tourist from France who spoke little English.

"Well, let's not let their deaths be for nothing," Helen spoke up. "Let's find a safe house and get some rest for now." The other two agreed to the idea and set out in search of one of the red metal doors that signified safety, if only temporarily.

It wasn't long after that a shrill shriek was heard nearby. The noise echoed throughout the empty streets. Then the sound of automatic fire followed, mixed in with desperate shouts. The group of three prepared for trouble, Helen readying her pistol and Christine placing a new mag in her submachine gun. Jack glanced around quickly, then picked up a broken leg from the debris of a bench – it wasn't much, but it would have to do for the time being.

"Get away, get away, get away, get away, get away, GET AWAY!!!" A guy wearing a bright yellow vest ran from out of an alleyway into the street, holding an M16 behind him with difficulty as he tried to fire it. Then something else came from the shadows – one of the deadliest kinds of infected they had ever encountered, that Christine liked to call a Witch (though Pete had always preferred 'Shredder'.) Everyone opened fire on the screaming creature as it swiftly chased after the fleeing boy, but the weak SMG and the single firearm were having little effect on the durable infected. It closed the distance between it and its prey. Jack ran forward, causing the other two to stop shooting.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Christine yelled. Jack pushed himself to run faster, then he swung the bench leg with both hands. The impact of the wooden object hitting the zombie woman in the face sent reverberations along his arms. The Witch fell over backwards, blood gushing from between its glowing eyes. Jack dropped his weapon and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Whoa... That..." Jack lifted his head to look at the guy whose life he had just saved. "...was awesome!!"

"...What?"

"You just, like, smashed her face in! That thud was the sweetest sound I've ever heard, man!"

_Is this guy for real?_ Jack thought incredulously. Helen and Christine walked over to the guys, Christine taking a moment to nudge the Witch's corpse with her foot.

"You alright, honey?" Helen asked the excited boy, briefly looking him over for injuries.

"Oh, yeah, I'm okay. Never better." He discarded the empty magazine of his weapon, then pulled a new one from his vest and inserted it into the gun. "Name's Tony, by the way."

"Are you traveling alone?" Jack asked, amazed at the guy's attitude during such a horrific time.

"Yep. Been on my own for about... I guess it's been 5 days now." The others were surprised that someone could last such a long time by themself.

"You ladies done chatting?" Christine butted in with an annoyed tone. "We can discuss things once we find somewhere safe."

"She's right," Jack stated. "It won't be long before those things find us again. We need to move."

"Oh! Great!" Tony exclaimed. "I actually saw a saferoom down that alley. That creepy zombie was sitting in the way of it, though. Not too easy to step over those things, you know."

"Well, what are we standing around her for? Lead the way," Helen said. The new addition complied, and the group went to find the shelter. With any luck, there would be plenty of weapons and ammunition to make use of. They would need everything they could get if they were going to survive this nightmare.

* * *

_A/N: I hope this gets off to a good start, and I also hope I don't inadvertently use any combination of character names/traits or scenarios that others have used. I haven't read many Left 4 Dead stories on here, so if anything resembles something from another story, it's purely coincidental and unintentional._

_As a bit of early clarification, I will use the same names as in the games for most of the Special Infected. I may use a different name for one, maybe two; but the majority will have the same names. That being said, I will not make it seem as if the Survivors all just 'know' the names. Some stories I _have_ read make the name thing a little unbelievable, where large groups of people unconnected to the Survivors will just happen to use the same SI names._

_As one final note on the infected topic, I may or may not use one or more SI of my own creation. It depends on if I can think of an idea that will work in a way unique from the official kinds, and will fit in with things. In the end, I might just stick with the existing Specials._

_Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcomed. And if anyone has any questions about something in the story (be it already in an existing chapter or something that could happen in the future), feel free to ask me about it (in a PM, so answering is easier.) I hope you enjoy, and I'll try to update soon.  
_


	2. Heading Out

_===Disclaimer: If I ever claim ownership of the Left 4 Dead series, a Hunter will rip out my intestines. At least, that's what I assume. But just to be safe, I will say that I don't own it.===_

Chapter 2: Heading Out

"Where did these all come from?!" The four survivors ran down the alley that the newest member had told them he saw a safe house in. But now a horde of infected were attacking from every direction. "I was just down here a few minutes ago! There weren't any more zombies left!"

"They do that," Jack grunted as he slammed his elbow into a snarling face. "Heads up! More coming down!" A mass of infected began to fall from the roofs of the buildings that bordered the alley. Everyone tried to stay out of their way, not wanting to be knocked down by a falling zombie. Then a loud moaning roar sounded. Suddenly, many of the infected were sent into the air as one of the large-armed creatures ran quickly through them. The survivors immediately backed against the wall to avoid the beast, Helen pulling back a hesitating Tony.

"Shoot it!" Christine shouted after it had passed. The bulky infected attempted to turn around, but the gunfire kept causing it to twitch. After enough shooting, the monster finally fell to the ground. "I fucking _hate_ those things," Christine commented once it was dead.

"No need for the language, sweetie," Helen chided the girl. "At least that thing got the rest of 'em out of our way."

"We should decide on a name for those things when we get into some shelter," Jack suggested. "They're too fast to try and describe them every time." The rest reloaded the last of their ammunition into their weapons before they all continued onward.

It wasn't much longer until they spotted the strong metal door that all good saferooms should have. They hurried into the safety of the room and shut the door tight behind them. Helen and Jack pushed a heavy desk in front of the door for extra security, then finally sat down to take a breather.

"Nice! There's a whole pile of ammo over here," Christine pointed out with uncharacteristic excitement as she checked around the room.

"And some guns back here," Tony added.

"Good. We could use more firepower," Jack stated. "Gotta make sure we grab them before we leave." Everyone decided to just relax for the time being. They were all worn out and tired.

"So... some pretty crazy stuff goin' on now, eh guys?" Tony's cheery attitude really seemed out of place in the kind of world they were all currently living in.

"You really aren't fazed much by this virus's effect on the world, are you?" Christine asked him. The slightly older boy just shrugged.

"What's to be scared of? They're just a bunch of rotting corpses." Jack shook his head at the boy's ignorance. "I mean, sure, some of them have big claws or giant arms. But -..."

"They're not undead shufflers from the movies, kid," Jack told him. "They're still living human beings. They were all normal people that you or I would regularly have lived alongside, worked with, or helped out." Tony seemed bothered now.

"I don't know what kind of twisted sickness this is," Helen picked up the explanation, "but whatever it is, it completely changes a person. Maybe not always in a noticeably physical way, but definitely in their mind." She recalled when the virus hit her town, and when she came home to get her family and escape with them. She remembered stepping into the house, shouting for her husband and young son. And she remembered seeing the mutilated corpse of her child being torn apart by her infected husband. "It changes them to a point where they lose all trace of humanity..."

"All of my friends from school got sick," Christine shared. "It was like they were just a bunch of bloodthirsty animals. When my sister and I were hiding out in our house, she even told me that she'd rather die than become like that. And when she turned, I had no choice but to satisfy her request..." She wiped a tear from her eye. She angrily sobbed, "This shit is just plain fucked up."

"I'm sorry...," Tony apologized. "I had no idea what they really were..."

"It's okay, kid," Jack said. "Not a lot do, and not a lot care anyway. They might as well be zombies now. No need to regret killing them."

"That's right," Helen agreed as she patted Christine on the shoulder. "Death would be better for them than allowing their tormented souls to continue living in the horrific state they've been forced into." Everyone was silent as they thought about the nightmare the world has become.

"Let's get some sleep," Jack suggested. The others were just as willing to get some shut-eye, so they all double-checked the doors and went to bed.

* * *

"Ow!" Tony shouted as he rubbed his knee after banging it into a table. A single infected ran out of a nearby doorway and lunged at him. It was hit between the eyes with a bullet and fell to the floor.

"Do you have to make so much noise?" Jack whispered as he lowered his pistol.

"Sorry," Tony quietly apologized, "but it's just so dark in here. Can't we tear off some of these boards, let some light in?"

"We don't have time to uncover the windows," Jack responded.

"Besides, that Witch is still out there somewhere," Christine pointed out. They all listened and heard the distinct sobbing of the fearful creature through the walls of the building. "Unless you got a death wish, I don't think we should let her know we're here."

"If we can find roof access, we can probably stick up high for a while," Jack said. "I caught a glimpse of a few makeshift bridges up there last night; looks like somebody else had the same idea."

The four survivors cautiously opened the apartment door and checked outside. Much to their relief, the hallway was clear of zombies. Tony stepped over to another apartment and looked at the door.

"You guys notice that there isn't any of those CEDA posters in this place?"

"So they didn't get to this building before they had to pull out," Christine said. "So what?"

"No, I mean the whole city. I've been wandering around for a couple'a days, and I haven't seen any posters."

"CEDA stinks at doing their job," Jack criticized. "It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of towns got hit without being prepared. ...Dammit, elevator's busted."

"Yeah, I guess," Tony admitted as they all moved toward the stairwell. "Just seems kinda strange is all..."

----

Soon, the four of them were up on the roof. A small group of infected stumbled around in the daylight, but they were quickly taken care of.

"See? I told you I saw some bridges." Jack climbed up and took a step onto one of the planks. It felt sturdy enough, so he carefully walked across to the other rooftop. Helen tossed her shotgun over and Jack caught it. She climbed up as well and inched her way over.

"Phew," she sighed with relief once she was across. "Me and heights do not mix well."

"Then you're in luck," Jack teased. "Only a dozen or so more to go." Helen retrieved her weapon and butted him with it lightly.

"Ladies first," Tony offered, to which Christine rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she muttered as she prepared to cross the gap. When she had only gotten halfway, a raspy shriek rang out from the roof of another building. She soon found herself ensnared by a disgusting, slimy appendage. A quick tug pulled her off the bridge and left her dangling over the alley below.

"Christine!" the others all shouted. Tony raised his hunting rifle and took aim at the head of the smoking zombie that had grabbed her. He squeezed the trigger, but his shot went askew as his arm was bumped by something. He immediately looked down and spotted a shoe lying on the ground at his feet. He looked to the other roof and saw that Jack had just thrown it.

"Don't shoot it! She'll drop!" he warned. Tony lowered his weapon.

"Then what do we do?" Jack couldn't find an answer, but Helen was already on the move. She climbed onto another wooden bridge and ran to another rooftop. And from there, she did the same, and then again until she was on the roof with the coughing creature. She wrapped her strong arms around the infected's waist and pulled hard on it. The long-tongued monstrosity flailed its arms as it began to move backward, but it refused to let go of its prey. Jack came up behind Helen and helped her pull.

"Ungh... I... I got the ledge," Christine uttered as she struggled to keep her grip on the roof. Tony lifted his gun again and aimed carefully, then took another shot. This time it hit its mark: the tongue that extended from the creature's mouth. It broke and Christine managed to pull herself up with Jack's assistance. When she was safe, Helen lifted her arms up to the thing's head and twisted as hard as she could. The zombie coughed up a cloud of thick smoke as its neck snapped, leaving everyone on that rooftop coughing themselves.

The other three regrouped with Tony and made sure that Christine was alright. She had dropped her submachine gun when she got snatched, but other than a few aches, she was fine.

"Then let's get going," Jack said. "The sooner we can get off these roofs, the better."

* * *

_A/N: Not really sure if anyone's reading this or not. But if there are readers, then I apologize for taking so long to update. Working on more than one story at a time results in me getting more ideas for one than the other. I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner._


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